Sheet-metal-case construction.



W. W. WATSON & C. A. ANDERSON.

SHEET METAL CASE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION. FILED APR. I6, 1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 3114 uc "tom 3, w Q/M WW W. W. WATSON 64 C. A. ANDERSON.

SHEET METAL CASE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, I915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM W. WATSON AND CHARLES A. ANDERSON, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO WATSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SHEET-METAL-CASE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial N 0. 21,776.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM W. WAT- SON and CHARLES A. ANDERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet- Metal-Case Construction, of which the following, taken in connect-ion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to sheet metal furniture; and the object of the improvement is to provide a simple and strong sheet metal case construction which can be struck up by suitable dies and assembled at small cost and is especially applicable to filing cases and similar constructions; and the invention consists in the novel features and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end portion of a filing case, the other end being broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view at line X X in Fig. 1 showing the construction and arrangement of the parts; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view at line Y Y in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the frontcorner portion of the top plate; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the top plate showing the openings for the vertical division plate; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a'portion of said vertical division plate showing the front tubular edge and the lugs for locking onto the top plate. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the vertical division plates showing one of the bolts for holding the case together extending therethrough and the ends broken away, and showing the slot in the tubular front .edgefor the front edge of the shelf; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a front corner portion of the shelf showing the lug thereon for insertion in the slot in the tubular front edge of the vertical plates. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the corner portion of the bottom plate showing the openings therein for the vertical plate; and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the central portion of the bottom plate showing the openings therein for the projections on one of-the vertical division plates; and Fig. 11

is a perspective view of a portion of thelower front end of the. vertical,- idiViSiOIl' plate showing the extension of the tubular front edge for insertion .in the bottom plateand the split locking lugs thereon for engagement through a slot in the bottom plate. Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the front portion of the case, the horizontal central portion being broken away, showing the manner of attachment of the top and bottom plates to the side plates.

-Like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 20 designates the vertical end plate and 21 one of the middle vertical division plates or uprights. The numeral 22 designates the top plate, 23 the bottom plate, and 24 the shelves.

The top plate 22 has the downward extending front flange with the angular inward projection 26 against which the drawer front 27 strikes. The top plate 22 is cut away at ,28 to receive the upper end of the front tubular edge 29 of the end plate 20. A slot 30 is provided in the top plate 22 a spaced distance from the front edge to receive the split lugs 31, which lugs are turned in opposite directions after insertion to attach the plates firmly to one another. One lug 31 is turned flat upon the top plate 22 and the other is turned down the side of the flange 25, as shown in Fig. 12. A number of pairs of lugs 31 may be provided along the edge of the end plate 20 and similarly spaced slots 30 provided in the top plate 22.

The middle 'artition, plates 21 are provided with split lugs 31 which extend up through slots 32 in the top plate 22 and the front flange 26 has an open ended slot 33 which enlarges inwardly to receive the end of the tubular front edge 29 of the plate 21. The rear edge of the end plate 20 is turned in a flange 34 and each of the end plates are Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

turned in opposite directions so as to receive within the flanges 34 the back plate 35.

The bottom plate 23 is provided with a tubular front edge 36. The rear edge of the bottom plate is turned upward in a flange 38 to receive therewithin the lower edge of the back plate 35. The lower ends of the end plates 20 and partition. lates 21 have the tubular portion 29 exten ed as at 39 in Figs. 11 and 12, and the bottom plate 23 has an opening 37 therein to receive said extension 39, and a closed slot 40 to receive the split lugs 31 on the lower end of the plates 20 or 21. The edge of the bottom plate 23 is turned in an upward end flange 41 and has the slot 40 therethrough for the split lugs 31 thereby attaching the bottom 23 very much the same as the top 22.

The shelves 24 extend from one vertical plate to the next and have the downward extending side flanges 43 and the front downward flanges 44 with stops for the drawers 27 the same as flange 26 on top plate 22. In order to hold the shelves 24 firmly in place and make a neat strong joint on the front edge with the tubular front edges 29 of the vertical plates 20 and 21, spaced verti-p shelves so that said shelves rest firmly upon.

the rods 47 thereby greatly strengthening said shelves and at the same'time firmly holding the entire case construction together.

It is obvious that the tubular front edge 29 is the foundation of this construction.

It provides the square broad front desiredfor the vertical plates for the appearance of the case and by the manner of its construction adds great strength and rigidity to the case while being exceedingly simple I to manufacture. The plates 20 and 21 are given a slight side bend 48 a spaced distance from the front edge. The sheet metal is then formed in the rectangulartube 29 by suitable dies, preferably having the inclined inner edges 49 at each side so that papers will not catch on the tubular portion 29 in Withdrawing drawers and books. The edge of the sheet metal is then welded to the sheet 20 or 21, the side bend 48 being just sufiicient to accommodate the thickness of the sheet metal edge so that the enamel finish provides a substantially smooth joint in finishing the same;

The front edge 36 of the bottom plate 23 is formed in very much the same manner except that since aid bottom plate 23 must be flat on its upper surface the tubular portion 26 extends below the plane of said plate. The angular flanges 26 and 44 provide similar square fronts for the top plate 22 and shelves 24 so that the front edges of all the plates are given the similar appearance which is desired.

The rectangular shaped tubes 29 and 39 greatly stiflen and strengthen the plates 20,

21 and 23 and at the same time provide flat,

tubular upright and horizontal parts which can be firmly joined to one another by sheet metal joints similar to mortises in wood and which hold together very strongly when the parts of the case are assembled together. It is apparent that these parts can be struck out by suitable dies thereby making a very cheap and durable construction of great strength.

-We claim as new.-:

1. In a sheet metal case, a bottom formed with a downwardly and rearwardly extending tubular part at its frontedge, said bottom being provided with openings which lead into said tubular part, vertical members seating at their lower ends on' said bottom and having tubular parts at their fronts which latter extend downwardly through said openings and at their lower end edges seat on the rearwardly extending portion of the tubular part of the bottom, and a top connecting the vertical'members.

2; In a sheet metal case, a bottom formed with a tubular part therebeneath at its front edge portion, said bottom being provided with openings which lead into said tubular part, vertical members having tubular parts at their fronts which are extended downwardly through said openings and into the tubular part of and beneath the bottom, said bottom openings extending through the side edges of the bottom so that the tubular parts of the vertical members will extend beyond the side edges of the bottom and below the bottom and form finished parts therefor, and

a top connecting the vertical members.

3. In a sheet metal case, vertical members formed'with tubular front edge parts, a top and a bottom, each ofsaid latter elements having a tubular part projecting downwardlyeand inwardly, and side flanges on the top and on the bottom, the tubular part of the top and said bottom each having cut-away parts which open upon their side edges, the cut-away part of the bottom communicating with the tubular part of the latter so that said cut-away parts may receive the ends of the tubular parts of the vertical members, and the flanges on the top and bottom may engage said vertical members, and means to secure the parts in their assembled relation.

4. In combination with vertical members having tubular front edge parts and a top and bottom connecting said members, shelves between the members,'each shelf having vertically extending side and front flanges and said tubular'parts having vertical slits, the side flanges of the shelves abutting the vertical members and the front flanges of the shelves having end extensions forming continuations of the front flanges of the shelves lar form and then extended inwardly and terminating in flat parts which seat in the offset portions to have the outer faces of their flat parts lie flush with the faces of the vertical members on which the offset portions are formed.

6. In a sheet metal case, a top and a bottom, each formed with front vertically and rearwardly extending tubular parts, and vertical members having tubular front edge parts, the tubular parts of the top and bottom having cut-away portions which open upon their side edges to receive the ends of the tubular parts of the vertical members whereby the last named tubular parts extend throughout the space between the top and bottom.

7 .In a sheet metal case, a top and a bottom each formed with a front downwardly and rearwardly extending tubular part, said bottom having an opening leading into the tubular part thereof and the tubular part of the topv also having an opening, and vertical members connecting the top and bottom and each having a tubular edge part, the tops of the tubular parts of said vertical members extending through the openings of the top tubular parts and abutting said top, and the lower ends of the tubular parts of the vertical members extending through the openings of the bottom and abutting the rearwardly extending portions of the tubular part of the'botto-m.

In testimony whereof we have afiiXed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. WATSON. CHARLES A. ANDERSON.

Witnesses: v

H. A. SANDBERG, HAROLD -GoRsBERG. 

